32 Weeks

Happy Fall! We have been blessed with fantastic weather in November. We have had plenty of 50+ degree weather and in a state where it could easily be in the 20's by this time we are fully enjoying the "heat wave" Nate even got out and golfed on November 8th and it was in the 70's. I went up to Oshkosh that day and had lunch with a friend. And then we walked through the outlet mall. She is due at the beginning of December so it was the last time we'll get together before she becomes a mom! Eleanor has been enjoying taking walks (long ones since its not too cold) and playing outside as we FINALLY finished raking all of our leaves yesterday. It was another sunny and beautiful day.

Last weekend we were in St. Charles, IL for one of my best friends Wedding. It was a lot of fun to see some of the high school girls and spend some time on the dance floor. The wedding was beautiful. I slept like a rock that night! We had to get up early to get back and pick up our puppy from the kennel. It was her first time at a kennel. I could hardly stand dropping her off before we left town - How in the world will I be able to drop our little guy off when I have to work everyday??

On Nov. 19th, Nate celebrated his 31st birthday.... Where does the time go? We both had a busy day at work and instead of going out to dinner at the restaurant I picked, Nate decided on his favorite place: Buffalo Wild Wings. There was a football game on and David and one of his friends met us there. Needless to say, it was very laid back. I had to of course get his favorite cake: Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Now we just need to have some people over to help us eat it!!! I am hoping to go get his big birthday present today.

On Friday, Nov. 20th some of my work friends had a baby shower for me. It was so nice of them and they were very sneaky and pulled off interviewing Nate prior to the shower for one of the games we played. And the cake was delicious :)

Nate and I started our 6 week long Child Birth and Prep class 3 weeks ago. We both feel like the class could be done in less than an hour, but our instructor manages to fill 2.5+ hours!!!! It's not something I would ever do again. But, the last 3 classes cover more "baby" topics so Nate is hoping to get some helpful information. Today we are taking a tour of the hospital we will be having baby D at. This whole baby thing is getting more real as each week passes. I read last night in on of my baby books that our little guy is around 4 lbs and 18 inches! And IF he were to be born now, there is nearly 100% survival rate with a healthy life expectancy... So that helps me breathe a little easier :)

Our 32 week doctor visit was non eventful. I gained about 2 lbs since my 28 week appointment. My doctor said that for now my platelet level is stable so he is not too concerned as of right now. I will start seeing him every 2 weeks now, until 36 weeks, then appointments will be weekly.

I am starting to have swelling in my feet at the end of the day - I am sure it doesn't help that I rarely sit down during the day. But, I just hope it doesn't turn into cankles! :) I sleep well but have noticed I am getting up a few more times to use the bathroom. And I do feel a bit more tired the past few weeks. Our boy is most active in the evening, followed by the morning, followed by lunch time. He is fairly quiet during the other times. It will be interesting to see if this will be his schedule once out of the womb. Right now, he and Eli wake up at about the same time in the morning... pretty convenient if that continues :) All in all though, things seem to be going just fine!

32 weeks, 5 days: (11/22/09)

28-30 weeks

Hi Everyone!!! Happy Belated Halloween. I was thinking how much fun it will be next year to dress the little guy up in a costume! Well, it's been a couple weeks again already since I last wrote and quite a lot has been going on. Let's see where to start...

On Wednesday October 21st, I had my 28 week doctor visit. I gained about another 4 lbs. since last visit, bringing my grand total right around 12 lbs. The doctor said that my belly is measuring right around 28 weeks so the baby must be growing right on schedule. Which, during all my baby reading lately, the baby seems to certainly putting on inches and pounds!! There is one thing the doctor is somewhat concerned about - It appears that my platelet count is low. When I had my blood work done while they were screening for my blood glucose test apparently they found out my platelet count was about 120,000. During pregnancy it is normal to have lower platelet levels, but mine are low, even for the normal pregnancy range.

At my visit they drew my blood again and said my values are stable for now, but they will continue to monitor them for the rest of the pregnancy. And if I were to go to the hospital, they will have to draw my blood and get my platelet count before having any anesthesia - mainly epidural (to be certain I wouldn't bleed out) So, I will keep you posted. Hopefully I won't have anything to worry about. The doctor also told me I don't have to come back at 30 weeks for a visit. I don't see him again until 32 weeks. FYI: I have mixed emotions about this...

On Thursday October 22 (Jake's bday) my mom and Conner (nephew) flew in. They were unfortunately delayed 5 hours, but made it nonetheless. My sister Kalyn also arrived from college. We spent Friday doing some shopping (not baby shopping really, MOM shopping) Kalyn and I both had heels on - BIG mistake. Who knew mom was a shop til you drop type all of a sudden :)

On Saturday October 24 my family (Kate, Kalyn, Courtney, Ali and Mom) had a baby shower for me. It was perfect - not too big and with great food.... and my carrot cake from Carl's Cakes! YUM. I got to see some extended family, some friends and some co-workers too. However, I missed Leah, Meli and Emma who were unable to be there. I was overwhelmed by all the "baby gear" we got, and overwhelmed by everyones generosity!! This little boy is lucky to have so many people who already love him. We got so many books - I can't wait to read to the little man.

Nate continues to work on the nursery, but at his own pace. Which means we have a ways to go :) I am anxious to get the whole room put together but it looks like I have at le

ast a few weeks to wait. I am trying to be patient.... I said TRYING.

Our little boy continues to be very active. It is so much fun to watch my whole stomach move as he flips and turns around. I feel like we are both already starting to feel like we have no space left, which isn't a good sign since we have 10 weeks left. I wish I knew what body parts I was feeling because he is definitely able to be felt. Nate tells me to stop poking at him - I push on different parts of my stomach because he'll move away from me :)

Tonight we spent over an hour raking the leaves in the front of our house - not the sides or the backyard. Good exercise, but hard. Work is continuing to go well. My back is still sore at times, but nothing too severe. I haven't noticed any swelling in my feet yet. Sleep continues to be hit or miss. For about the past week I have had a bad cough. It makes sleep even more difficult. I hope it goes away soon or I may call the doctor just to be certain its not something more serious.

28 weeks, 1 day (10/21/09)

30 weeks, 5 days: (11/8/09)

On to the Nursery

Well I finally finished my work in the second extra bedroom last night. That means my focus can now shift to the baby's room. The good news is that this will be the last room in the house that will need painting for the foreseeable future. We've decided to have the husband of one of Karyn's co-workers give us a quote for the wainscotting that we want in the nursery. We were initially going to do it ourselves but our better judgment kicked in before we got too far into the construction project. It isn't that we couldn't do it ourselves. It is more that we probably shouldn't do it ourselves for a variety of reasons.

In any event, the first part of the project is repainting all of the walls. I'm tentatively scheduled for a Saturday start time. With any luck I should be able to get the room done this weekend, but that might be too ambitious since it is a big room with a vaulted ceiling. Actually, I am not sure if it is a vaulted or cathedral ceiling, but the walls extend pretty high in place. Either way it will be a fun project. Once the painting is done the contractor will install the 4 foot wainscotting over the newly painted walls. He is also planning to transform the lower portion of a built-in shelving area into a built-in toy chest. I'm really looking forward to seeing the end result of Karyn's plan for the nursery. I have a feeling she has been inspired to some extent by Jeff Lewis from Bravo's Flipping Out. The show is ridiculous, but I have to admit that it is hilarious at times.

To keep up with Karyn's use of pictures on this blog I will take some before, during and after pictures of the nursery. I just remembered something that has put a slight damper on my spirits. Unfortunately, the nursery is not my last painting project for the year. I need to repaint/stain/protect/whatever the outside stairs and decks as well. I better get that done soon as the temperatures have really dropped lately. Well wish me luck.

26+ weeks

Hi! Here we are, at 26 weeks and 4 days...

I am continuing to try and enjoy every moment of being pregnant, especially because I know it will be over before I know it!! However, I do have a couple complaints:

1. I have an ache in my lower thoracic spine on the R that will not subside.... at least, not for long. I have been using my foam roller to try and manipulate that area, a tennis ball over that spot when I drive or sit, and I have been begging Nate to try and crack my back. Where are my "big" younger brothers when I need them?!?!?

2. I have to preface this one by saying I am so happy that this has only happened 3 times. In the middle of the night/early morning I have gotten the worse leg cramp/charlie horse EVER. The first time had me in tears, and subsequent ones have been bad. Luckily, the cramp doesn't last long, but oh my goodness!! I continue to be most comfortable sleeping on my back and wonder if this has anything to do with it? I try and drink a lot of water, but maybe I need to guzzle down a few more glasses and see if that helps...

3. I get short of breath doing just about anything, including talking on the phone....while sitting still...

4. I have officially lost my mind!!! Example: This past Sunday I went to the grocery store for a few things (I even made a list) However, before I left I didn't check to see if we needed spaghetti sauce. So, when I was just about done with everything on my list (and a piece of cake that wasn't on the list) I called Nate to see if we needed sauce. After checking, he said "yes." I hung up and went over to get spaghetti noodles (last thing on the list) and the sauce. I must have been overwhelmed by picking out noodles because I completely forgot about the sauce. I did realize it when I was being checked out, but by that time it was too late. When I got home, Nate started unpacking the bags and said, "Where is the spaghetti sauce?" Need I say more...

I love that the little guy continues to be very active, and he has developed a sense of humor - He can be moving all over, kicking, punching, doing somersaults etc. and as soon as I have Nate come and feel, he STOPS. And then when Nate stops trying to feel, he starts up again. He either is stubborn or is completely relaxed and calmed by his father. Hopefully it's the latter - I can about imagine that will come in handy when he needs to be soothed at 2 in the morning :)

We all of a sudden have been thrown into VERY COLD weather. Seriously, I think I heard tonight we will be down in the 20's! I am thinking its just about time for fires in the fireplace and warm cozy clothes to come out. My dad, mom and 3 youngest siblings are in Orlando, FL for the week. I initially took the week of work to be there too. However, once I found out I was pregnant I decided to save my vacation time until the baby was here. Too bad because it'd be awful nice to be in 90 degree weather right about now! Have a great time family!!

25 Weeks

Hi Everyone! We just crossed over the 25 week mark...Baby Boy Dosch continues to be very active and is getting more forceful!!! After being in the car for over 11 hours this past Sunday (will explain in a minute) I think he was just as anxious as I to get out of the car at the end of the day. His kicking was the strongest I have felt yet!

So, why were we in a car for 11+ hours? Over the weekend we went back to Nate's hometown of Devils Lake, ND for a very special event: Grandma Helen turned 90!!! We were lucky to have wonderful weather, which is never a given in ND from what I hear. We were able to see all of Nate's family (minus his dad). It had been quite awhile since seeing most of them and it was great to catch up. The down side: Never having enough time. The weekend flew by. Nate's nieces and nephew have grown up so much in the past year - and with all the girls around, baby Alayna got passed from one to the other all weekend! Nate even got in a bit more practice :)

On Monday I had my 1 hour glucose test done. I called today to get the results and the nurse informed me that my level (110) was normal. So, yeah!!! I get to keep craving sweets. Luckily, the craving hasn't been too long lived, nor am I acting on those cravings - often :) Thankfully or I'd feel even bigger than I already do!

*I do look forward to carrot cake from Carl's Cakes for the baby shower though.

20-24 weeks

Wow! I can't believe its been almost a month since I last blogged... Is blogged even a word? Hmm. Anyway, we've had a busy couple weeks. On Sept 2nd baby and I flew to NC for a nice extended weekend to see the family over Labor Day. Nate and the dog stayed home. Nate did some "boy things" and even got some stuff done around the house. He finished painting one of the guest bedrooms and started on the other. I told him I wanted to get these two rooms done before tackling the nursery. It's nice to be almost done with both of them!!! And then on to much more enjoyable work. Anything involving the baby is enjoyable, no? Baby and I had a good visit in NC. We had wonderful weather, spending a little bit of time at the pool everyday we were there. The little guy really started moving much more while we were there. Emma, Meli, and Mom all got the chance to feel those movements! We did some shopping and went out to eat a lot...What else is new, right? In addition, we had about 10 different people throwing out boy names all weekend!!! Meli likes Josh... but I can promise it won't be that! But I love the enthusiasm. So, Thanks all! 

Work has been really busy for me lately. I am working long days and my patients are particularly challenging. The only upside, which is slight, is that my days fly by. I say this is only slight because I want to enjoy every minute of being pregnant. Unfortunately, September is almost over and I just can't believe it. 

This past weekend Nate, David and I drove up to Appleton topick up the furniture for the little guys room. And guess what? I like it just as much as I did when I ordered it about 2 months ago. I have been spending some time (LOTS) on trying to decide what bedding to order... I keep going back and forth. I do know that we will be painting the room navy and be putting up white wainscoting. That is our October Plan. Nate just doesn't know it yet :) 

                                                                                                           Belly Picture Today! 23 wks, 6 days

Tomorrow I will be 24 weeks! I had my 24 week visit today. I have to schedule my glucose test for early next week. Otherwise, it seems like everything is going just according to schedule. I gained 4 lbs since my last visit. The heart rate was again at 140 bpm. The little guy sure is active and getting stronger. I love feeling him move (even at 3 in the morning). Nate already talks sports - mainly golf - with him. He seems to enjoy his dads voice. 

Below are some pictures from our busy September... ENJOY! 

Me: at 23 weeks, 4 days

Nathan John Dosch, Jr?

First things first, this post title is both rhetorical and an impossibility. I put it out there even though I abandoned that campaign months ago because it still creates a stir around the Dosch house. As difficult as it is for me to formally recognize this, the fact is that January 2010 will not see the arrival of N. John Jr. Now that we have that issue settled we can address more important things like baby furniture, painting, wainscoting, and the upcoming Christmas to Remember - Wisconsin style.

As you can see from Karyn's previous post, our latest US showed that "it" is a "he." I was probably more surprised by Karyn's reaction than she was. I was surprised by my own reaction as well. I understand that a mom-to-be thinks about having a girl and a dad-to-be thinks about having a boy, so I get the momentary letdown that this news can have on a mother. It didn't last very long though. Karyn was able to adapt on the fly as she mentioned in her post. The girl's clothes is now packed away again. In their place we have a new collection of little boy's cloths including a very impressive tiny shoe collection. The little man is 24/25 weeks along and he has more shoes than I do. I'd say he has just as many shoes as his mom, but that would be a lie. His mother has taken shoe hoarding to a remarkable level.

When I heard the news last month I was, well, I'm not sure what I was. Initially all I could think about was how happy I was that everything was still going well. I always said I didn't have a preference between a boy or a girl. I just want the baby to be healthy. That hasn't changed a bit. But when I heard it was a little boy in there I couldn't help but think of all that entails. I don't think I am unlike many dads when I think about all the things I hope to teach my son. I hope to have the opportunity to also teach a daughter some of those things in the future. In either respect I hope they are okay with not being able to beat their dad on the golf course until I'm approximately 70 years old.

All and all I am just very happy that we have positive news and hope to grasp as we race into the third trimester.